Business and Finance

Audio: Dubai based Just Falafel has opened its first store outside of the Middle East in Covent Garden, London. Phil Blizzard joins Fadi Malas, CEO, Just Falafel to talk about their London presence and their expansion plans in the UK capital, for what is one of the fastest growing franchise operations.

The Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 plan expects revenue from the non-oil sector to account for 60% of the GDP. At the 7th Annual MEED Abu Conference Phil Blizzard talks with H.E. Mohammed Omar Abdulla, Undersecretary, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, about their economic performance, SMEs, DFI and the new Industrial Development Bureau, along with emerging investment opportunities.

Audio: The theme for the 2012 DIFC Forum is 'The Shifting Centre of Gravity' and the essence of this is explained by H.E. Abdul Aziz al Ghurair, Chairman, DIFC Authority Board of Directors. Talking to Phil Blizzard at the event he gives his views of this shift, the role the DIFC can play with emerging markets and the importance of China, along with the key focus of the DIFC in 2013.

The debut Gulf Capital SMEinfo Awards recognised the success, growth and innovation of businesses in a glittering ceremony held at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray on Palm Jumeirah. AMEinfo.com caught up with some of the winners - including Suha Mardelli, Bayt.com, John Sammon, Saluki Media, Paul Kenny, Cobone,and Fadi Malas, Just Falafel.

Audio: The importance China, one of the world's fastest growing economies, on the Middle East is the focus of this interview with James Babb, Partner who oversees the China Services Desk, Deloitte ME. Talking to Phil Blizzard he offers an insight into trade between the Middle East and China, focusing on both oil and the non-oil sectors, and talks about which are seeing growth. He also highlights some of the sectors which China is moving into, ones which were traditionally overseen by Western companies.

Audio: The increasing risk that social media poses on companies and the strategies which companies need to adopt in order to protect themselves are the key topics of this interview with Tariq Ajmal, Partner, Enterprise Risk Services, Deloitte Middle East.

Audio: The performance of the region's tourism sector is the focus of this interview with Dr Costas Verginis, Director, ME Travel Hospitality & Leisure Industry Leader, Deloitte. Talking to Phil Blizzard he reveals which countries have seen most growth in the first eight months of 2012, those which have faced challenges through regional and global issues and how Dubai has rebounded well - and whether it can be sustained. He also provides a forecast for the region's tourism industry for the rest of the year and 2013.

Audio: Trade between the UAE and the Dallas Fort Worth region of the USA has grown significantly since the introduction of direct flights by Emirates Airline in February 2012. Phil Blizzard talks to The Honorable Betsy Price, Mayor of Fort Worth about the trade and business ties between the two centres, the key industry sectors and future opportunities. She also provides a brief travelogue of her city and region - where you can see a long horn cattle drive and an original Rembrandt masterpiece, amongst many attractions.

Audio: Economic trends as seen by Chief Financial Officers (CFO) across the MENA region are spoken about by James Babb, Clients and Markets Director, CFO, Program Leader, Deloitte Middle East. Talking to Phil Blizzard he focusses on the main concerns for CFOs, including fallout from the global economy, political tensions in the region and the requirement for CFOs to increase cash flow, plus M&A activity in the region.

Audio: A little over a year since its inception, e-commerce website JadoPado has already relocated to a larger office and is looking to expand beyond the UAE into neighbouring GCC countries. Now well on the way to notching up 1,000,000 unique visitors within a year, Dhs9.3m gross sales and 4,483 orders, company founder Omar Kassim talks to Steven Bond about breaking ground in UAE, where giants such as Amazon have not dared to set up shop, and the challenges of tackling multiple Middle East markets.

An overview of corporate governance for SMEs is provided by finance expert Khaled Mersi, Chief Business Officer & Chief Corporate Governance Officer, Just Falafel. Talking to Phil Blizzard he explains the importance of corporate governance for SMEs and how it should be implemented.

Audio: Alan Devereux, Founder 120 Talk, a practitioner and commentator on all things connected to Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+ talks to Phil Blizzard on current trends in social media. The use of these in the business environment is explained, the myth that they will deliver success is de-mythed and how 'likes' is not necessarily an indicator of popularity.

Audio: In the MasterCard Global Top 20 Destination Cities Dubai is now placed 8th in the world for international visitors, and 18th when it comes to visitor spend. Phil Blizzard talks to the author of the report Dr Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, Global Economic Advisor about global travel trends, the key findings of the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index and how the information has been researched.

Audio: The Kingdom of Saudia Arabia has the fastest growing hospitality sector in the GCC which means a challenge for operators in terms of getting the right staff and the associated formalities. Moustafa Said, Senior Associate, Clyde & Co talks to Phil Blizzard on what hotel operators and owners to need to beware of in an evolving travel and tourism environment, especially if they are new entrants to The Kingdom.

Stronger economic data out of the USA boosting confidence, with markets enjoying a strong quarter, despite turmoil in Europe is the overlying theme of this review. Gary Dugan, CIO, Private Banking, Emirates NBD talks us through the Q1 performance for markets around the globe, starting with the West through to the Middle East and across to Asia, as well as the BRIC countries. He also tells Phil Blizzard that there is potential for investors with small funds to spare, and that gold should play a bigger role in one's portfolio.